Bruises
by hotforteacher
Summary: /You're all I have. / She needed his protection just as much as he needed to be next to her./ Rated for language! Complete!
1. Ria Torres

**Hey there! So I seriously don't know where this came from. It just flowed out of me one night. I wanted to see where this went before posting it. I know that this will be a 6 chapter story. I am almost finished with it. I am still a little hesitant to post, but once I start something I like to finish it (despite having 5 unfinished stories :P). LOL!**

**So five of the chapters will be from one person POV. It's another new thing I am trying. Hopefully it reads over well. **

**Its rated for some language and maybe a smige of violence. All mistakes are mine. I don't own anything.**

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July 12, 2010; 8:16 am

Okay, this is kinda weird. I just saw Foster and even though she walked by very quickly, I could have sworn that I saw a bruise on her jaw. It's weird enough that she would walk by without saying anything to me but a bruise? No, no; I know without a doubt that that can't be. Foster would never allow a person to hit her. She's like a hippy, always looking on the brighter side of things, always optimistic, always worried about other people. I have to say though; she does dress more fashionable and smells a lot nicer. Hahaha. Naw, Foster didn't have a bruise on her face… but let me check on her, just to make sure.

- Knock, Knock –

Oh my God, there is a bruise on her face. God it's the size of Texas! Who did this to her? I need to tell Lightman as soon as possible. He's going to flip a lid.

"Ria." Gillian voice was so soft that I could hardly hear her. I can't help but stare at her jaw. It is like an elephant in the room. "Ria, please look at me in my eyes." I reluctantly draw my eyes up her to her eyes. "Thank you." Her voice is still very soft but very firm. "Now I will say this once. I will be taking my work home for the rest of the day. If anyone asks please tell them that I wasn't feeling well." All I could was nod. In essence, I'm not lying because she doesn't look so good. In fact, besides the bruise, she has lost a lot of color in her face and her eyes look dead. "One other thing, you tell anyone about this… what has happened to me, I will fire you."

What the fuck! "But Foster-"

She held up her hand. "Ria, please. I can handle it."

She looks so vulnerable. There is no possible way that she can handle this. She looks like she is about to break down and ball her eyes out. "Foster, I've been in your… umm… situation and the only way you go is down. If someone is hitting you, he needs to be arrested."

"That won't ever happen. Ria, you tell anyone, I will fire you."

I'm a very stubborn woman; you can't get rid of me just yet. "Why can't this guy get arrested?"

"It just… it just won't ever happen, okay. Now if you will excuse me-"

All of a sudden, I hear laughing coming from the hall. I turn and see Lightman and another woman laughing at some joke. I look back over at Foster. She looks annoyed and scared at the same time. I get why she is annoyed, but why is she scared? "Gillian, who did th -"

"Ria, leave it. I'm out of here. I will see you later." She gathered her things quickly and walked out the door.

I can't believe this. Someone should know, at least Lightman.

"Oy, Torres?" Speak of the devil. "Where's Foster?" He looked over to the other woman and said, "I bet you she is trying to find another way to control me. Nothing but a Mother Hen, she is." They both snickered. Jerks!

"She wasn't feeling well so she went home." I left; I couldn't stand to be in his presence. For the time, I will keep her secret. But if I see another bruise on her face, I will have no choice but to tell someone, anyone.

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**Next chapter, you will see Emily's reaction.**

**Please review!**


	2. Emily Lightman

**Hi there! First and foremost, thank you for the support! I was very scared to post something that is a very touchy subject to some people. I am glad it was well received! Second, Cal is not the one beating Gillian up! I'm sorry if it let some of you down, but I could never write something like that. Lightman has been mean to Gillian on the show but I don't think he would ever, ever resort to hitting her. I feel that Lightman is a lover not a fighter (at least towards women :P)! Plus, he would be the one that needs an ass kicking! LOL!**

**Now this chap. is a little short but the ones coming after are a lot longer!**

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July 20, 2010; 4:13 pm

Hmm… I wonder if dad will let me go to the movies with Rick? Ever since he found out about my virginity, he has been a bit over protective. UGH! He should just trust me. It isn't like I'm going around with every guy on the baseball team. Not like Stephanie Shew. HA! What a hoe!

-BUMP-

Oh no, here I am not watching where I am going, and I make Gillian spill all of her papers. "Hey, Gillian, sorry about that. I guess I just wasn't watching where I was going?"

"It's okay, Emily. I guess that makes two of us."

Her voice is barely above a whisper. I have to crane in to hear. Then I look at her face. Is that… is that what I think it is? Nooo, Gillian would never let anyone hit her. I mean, I guess in the light it looked like a bruise. It was a twinged shade of brown, almost like it has been healing for quite some time. Maybe it was an accident. I remember when I was young, I used to have very vivid dreams. In the morning I would wake up to bruises on my arms and legs from me hitting the side of the bed at night. Yeah, it was probably just an accident from work. I bet on occasions she gets into hairy situations, especially with dad around.

Phew! I almost got myself worked up there for a second.

What is that, though?

There's another one, on her wrist. This one is darker, more blackish and blueish. It looks like someone held her wrist too tight. There! I can almost see a finger print. How can this be?

She pulls her sleeve down. Oh crap, she saw me staring. "Umm… it was a tennis injury from the other day." She sounds so vulnerable. She looks so vulnerable. Okay, this was not a tennis injury, someone has been hurting her.

What should I say? What should I do? I have to comfort her somehow. "Gillian, if someone is-"

"No one is doing this to me. I appreciate your concern, but it's nothing to be worried about. It was a tennis injury." Her voice went an octave higher and she looked away. It seems like she is trying to convince herself that. If I'm not mistaking, she is on the brink of tears. She quickly gathered the rest of her papers and with a hasty goodbye, she left. For the first time in my life Gillian just brushed me off. Now I know something is wrong with her.

I have to go find dad. Why hasn't he seen this? I pray he has and he just didn't tell me. Now where is he? I guess I can check the obvious place. Hopefully he's not out in the field.

Here he is, in his office with another 'pick of the week'. First it was the lady cop and now this blonde bimbo. Seriously, Dad? "Hey dad, can I talk to you for a sec."

"Can you see tha I'm in the middle of somthin'?" UGH! Like she is more important than Gillian.

"Dad, it's about Gillian."

Here he comes. I bet he is going to brush me away like a little kid.

"Don't worry about her, darlin'. She can take care of herself." Now I know I can't read faces like dad can but he seems a little annoyed. Why? What did she ever do to him? "God knows she needs to worry about herself for once in her life." Is this about the book that he is supposed to write? "Now, go on home and do your homework. I will be late tonight."

He is pushing me out of his office, the jerk! "Yeah, don't forget protection." I make sure that I glare at him and I storm off. Who else can I go to? I look around from where I am standing. There is no one here.

I guess no one at the moment.

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**Next chapter, Loker gets involved.**

**Please review!**


	3. Eli Loker

**Hi! Thanks again for all of the wonderful support! :D**

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July 30, 2010; 11:18 pm

I can't believe I forgot my stupid iPod here! I guess with everything that is going on, I just can't seem to think straight. What with dealing with Lightman and being around Ria, no wonder I'm in a loop. Oh, Ria, I almost wish—

What was that? It sounds like someone is in the building. Who would be here at this time of night? Well me for one, maybe Foster or Lightman, but I didn't see any lights on when I drove up to the building. The foot sounds aren't coming from high heels, so it must be Lightman. Phew! For a moment there, I was almost scared. Almost.

As Lightman comes closer, I really don't want to face him. As chicken shit as it may be, sometimes he is just annoying. Oh, here's a room I can duck in to. The door is open, but I can hide in the shadows and wait until he leaves. God, Eli, you are chicken shit! I can't wait to leave—

Whoa, whoa, whoa. That isn't Lightman. This guy walks differently. Hmm, I can't really get a good look at him though, it's too dark. Who is he and what is he doing in this building? I think he was coming from where Lightman and Foster offices are. He wasn't concealing anything, so I know he isn't a robber. Oh God, I hope he didn't plant anything, like a bomb.

Here, let me check Lightman's office first. There are a lot more people who want to see him dead than Gilli—

What is that noise? Okay, seriously, being in this building with no lights on is pretty scary. It sounds like someone is crying, but it isn't coming from Lightman's office; Oh God, Gillian!

I strut through the door yelling, "Gillian, are you hurt?" I must have said that a little too loud because she nearly jumped out of her skin. I don't think she was expecting me to come through the door. "Gillian, I'm sorry if I startled you but I just saw a strange man walk out the door."

She blew her nose into a tissue. Something seems a little put off. "It's okay, Eli. He's not a stranger, he is… he is an old friend… from back home."

She has yet to turn and face me. Is she ashamed for some reason? I take this time to look around. Everything seems put together, but it looks different at the same time. What is that? I have to crane my neck a little bit over but I see it. It's a bunch of pieces of broken glass, like from a cup or something. There must have been a fight or at least an accident. But why would Gillian be ashamed of an accident? "Gillian, are you okay? You seem a little… umm… shaken up."

She took a deep breath, like she was trying to calm her nerves. This is very weird, indeed. "Eli, I'm okay. Why don't you go home? It's getting pretty late."

My goodness, she sounds so… defeated. What is happening? One thing is for sure, I don't want her to be by herself. "I won't leave until you leave.

She took her tissue and wiped her face. Why would she need to wipe her face? Oh God, is that blood? I can barely see the dark stains on the tissue; even with the moonlight coming through her semi-closed windows. I can't take this anymore. I turn on the lights. She flinches from the stark light. I walk up to her and turn her around. I have to see her face. She puts up a little resistance but then she gives in.

Jesus Christ! What happened to her? She has blood dripping from her mouth and a cut on her cheek. That isn't the worst part, though. She has the beginnings of a bruise forming on her cheek and jaw. I have to look down, I'm about to get sick. Who would do something like this to her? She is the sweetest, most loving person I know.

You know, it had to have been that guy I saw walking out of here. There's no other explanation. Her bruises are fresh and so is the blood. Ugh, I really think I'm going to be sick.

I feel a cool hand over my arm. I look up and it's Gillian. Just look beyond the bruises, Eli. She looks so tired and frail. She smiles at me. Even through all this, she smiles. God love this woman. "Eli, I'm sorry you had to see this, but I want you to keep this to yourself. It's a… private… well no, it's a… delicate matter. If anything is said, then lives can be ruined. Don't worry, I can handle it."

I can't believe this woman; she is protecting the person who is hitting her! "Gillian, he should not be hitting you, I don't care how delicate the situation is. He should be treating you with more respect. And quite frankly, I should call the cops on him."

"Eli, let's be honest, you didn't get a good look at him." She looks frightened.

"Well, then we can use the surveillance video."

She looks down again, shame. "I already deleted it."

What the fuck? Are you kidding me? Wow, she must really love this guy to be in this kind of secret relationship. Hey, I wonder if Lightman knows.

"Before you say anything else, please don't tell Dr. Lightman. I don't think he could handle," she pointed to her face, "this."

"How does he not know in the first place?" I know the answer right as the question leaves my mouth. Gillian just looks down again. This time, there is sadness. Lightman is an asshole. He might be the world's leading deception expert, but when it comes to friends, he sucks! There's only one thing left to say, "Gillian, please get yourself out of this relationship. If you need help, I will always be here for you."

There she goes smiling again. She has a great smile despite having half of her face covered in blood and bruises. "That's a little bit more said than done, but thanks for the shoulder. So you won't tell anybody."

"No but I swear to God, if I see him around here or you, I will call the cops."

"The cops won't come out here, they hate us." By 'us' she means Lightman. Asshole.

"I don't care. Now let's get you cleaned up and I'll walk you to your car. I won't take no for an answer."

"Well, I cleaned up my office; I just need to take a shower. Walk me out?"

Is there a moon in the sky? "Of course, but first…" I have to clean off some of this blood. So I take a hanky from my pocket and wipe her face. She smiles in return. God love that smile.

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**Next chapter, Cal finds out what is happening to Gillian. **

**Please review!**


	4. Cal Lightman

**Hello! So I am starting to finish up with the last chapter and I realized that it is too long! LOL! So this will probably be a little longer than I planned for! **

**Some of you asked why Cal hasn't noticed Gillian's bruises. Well, in this chapter, it's very brief on why. She just hasn't been around the office. She keeps saying that she's sick just to make sure that no one sees her. Plus, he has to keep up with all of his 'lady friends'. :P Anywho, this is the chapter that Cal finds out! Hope I gave it justice!**

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August 20, 2010; 6:03 pm

Where is that blasted daughter of mine. I can't believe that I agreed to take her shopping for school clothes. I thought Zoe did it. I dunno, maybe I was drunk or at least in a trans from writing.

Another thorn on my side. I don't wanna even think about it.

Maybe she's in with Foster? For some ungodly reason, Emily has taken it upon herself to check up on Foster whenever she can. It's getting a little annoying. Every day, she is asking me how she is doing and if I notice anything strange going on. I don't notice anything strange, but I have been a little preoccupied. Hehe.

Well no one is in Foster's office. Hold on, that's kinda strange. Foster never leaves before everyone else. Humph, she probably is sick or somethin' like that. But to be honest, I haven't seen her around here a lot lately. In fact, I don't think I've seen her in about a month. That's kinda strange. All I've been hearin' lately is that she is feelin' under the weather…

Emily's second favorite place is the lab. The door is open and I can hear voices coming from inside. Oh, that's my little Emily's voice. Funny, she sounds very stressed. I wonder why?

"Okay, so both of you have seen her with the… you know... the things?"

I wonder who she is talking to. Might as well take a peek, just to make sure she isn't talking with strangers. Oh, she's only talking to Loker and Torres, the two biggest baboons eva.

"Well I just saw it on her arm, like someone grabbed her." Who is Emily talking about?

"I saw it on her face. She was so terrified that she threatened to fire me." Are they talking about Foster? And what did they see?

They were silent for a couple minutes and then Eli spoke up. Instead of his usual cockiness, he was very hesitant and scared? Why is he scared? "I walked in right after she got one. I mean, it was the worst thing I ever saw. She looked so lost and vulnerable. She told me not to worry about it. That-"

"-That she could handle it? She said the same thing to me." Torres seemed concerned too. Can one of these people say what they saw?

"She told me that it was from tennis, but I knew that she was lying. I'm really worried for her. I'm afraid that he might go too far and do something worse."

"You know, she is protecting the guy too. She erased the footage of him in the building. What is it that he has over her?" No one said anything for a couple minutes. The suspense is killing me, what is it that they see but I didn't.

"You know what is worse, is that dad doesn't seem to care. He's off in his own little world with his weekly bimbos. Can he not see the sadness in her eyes and those horrible bruises?"

Those horrible what? I can't take it even more, "What do you mean bruises? Who has been hurting who?"

All three look up at me with surprise and contempt. Emily is the one to speak up first. "Dad, have you been listening in to our conversation?"

I give her my best 'I'm guilty but I feel guilty' look. It didn't faze her. "Look, you lot left the door open so that anyone walking by can hear your supposedly private conversation. Now spill it? Who is getting beat up?"

Please don't say Gillian. Please don't say Gillian. Please don't say Gillian. Please don't say Gillian.

"It's Gillian, dad. We thought you knew."

"I… I… I guess I should've known." God, how could I have let this happen? How did it slip by me? Yeah I was mad at her, but not to notice, this is horrendous. I am the scum of the Earth. "Tell me everything that you know."

For the next 30 minutes, all three of them went over what they saw. Loker's was the worse. When he told me that she erased the clip of the guy, I almost lost it. Then he told me what the guy did to her, then I did lose it. I had to hit something and since Loker looked so sad, I decided to hit the wall. How dare this man come into her life and do this. One thing's for sure, I want to murder this guy, whoever he is. Okay, that hurt and it did leave a hole, but I feel a little better. Only a little bit.

After sitting in silence for a few minutes, I couldn't take it any longer. "Emily, get your bag. I'm dropping you off at your mum's. We'll have to do your school shopping another day." She nodded and left the room. "You two, go over the surveillance video starting around a month ago. Maybe she got sloppy and left us a picture. Make sure to check the elevator video too. If you find anything, send me a picture of him and then go home. I don't want you two here if he comes lookin' for Foster." Both nodded and set off the work.

Before walking out the door, I blurt out, "I'm sorry." I'm just as shocked at saying those words than they are at hearing those words coming from my mouth. I don't know what else to say, so I leave.

I meet up with Emily by the elevator. We start walking out. At first everything is quite between us, but I can tell that Emily is furious. It took a good 10 minutes before she exclaimed, "How could you have not known, dad? How could you have not seen the bruises? A blind person could have seen those things from a mile away." She is breathing a little harder. She reminds me of Zoe a lot, at least that temper."

I don't know what to say in response, so for once I just keep my mouth shut.

"What's the matter, dad, cat got your tongue? You know, you are just as responsible for this as the man who is slapping her around. She can stand up to me because I'm a teenager and she can threaten Ria and Eli by firing them. You are the only one she can't stand up to."

Finally, we are at Zoe's house. I've never been so excited to be here before. Truth be told, though, I do need a quick kick in the arse. I hate what I've become.

"Dad, fix this. She needs help and you are the only one who can give it to her. Please, fix it."

"Nothing else will be on my mind. I will call you if anything happens." I give her a kiss on the cheek. Before letting her go, I have another blurting moment. "I'm sorry, Emily. I should have seen it, but I was too wrapped up in other things."

"Other legs are more like it." Okay, sentimental, blurting moment done.

"Watch it; I am still your father even though I have been actin' like a total wanker."

"You are a wanker, but I still love you."

"Good, you're the only one I got." Somehow in the back of my mind I don't think that is true.

"No dad, I'm not the only one." Her eyes began to twinkle and somehow she knows too.

"Be good for your mum. Love you."

Before getting out of the car she said, "Fix it." That's what I intend to do.

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**Next chapter will be Gillian's take on the situation and someone comes to visit her.**

**Please review!**


	5. Gillian Foster

**Hey there! Again, thanks for the feedback! Glad ya'll are still on board! This chap is a little short, but the next one will be pretty long!**

**So the next couple of chaps are going to be a little hairy. Since we don't know anything about Gillian's past (except that her father was a drunk), I figure I would take her history for a test drive! I don't think she was a very good girl when she was younger. Anywho, I figure, your either going to like it or hate it! LOL! Either way, please let me know how you feel! **

**I am still working on the ending! Hopefully by Veteran's Day this will be complete!**

**Also, this is where the smige of violence comes in. It's not graphic, but just to be on the safe side - if you are sensitive to this kind of stuff skip down a couple paragraphs! :)**

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August 20, 2010; 7:24 pm

"You bitch! I swear if you won't give me the money, not only will I kill you but I will make sure your little business partner will find out." –Slap-! Oh God, that was the place he hit me a week ago. Ohh…It's still sensitive.

"I told you already, you have cleaned me out. I have no more money in my bank account and the petty cash is cleared." He grabs me by the collar of my shirt and pushes me against the wall. Ohhh, my back hits the light switch. My only instinct is to fight back, so I take a swing at his head. He must have seen it coming because he grabbed my wrist, hard, and slammed it against the wall.

He gets in my face, with his hot, sticky, rotting breath. "I told you not to fight back. I will always win." He finally let's go of me. "You better get that money to me real soon, otherwise the next time your friends see you, you'll be in an open casket." He walks out the door without a glance back. I rush to lock the door and then I instinctively walk to the place where I will feel the most comfort, my sofa. It's the kind that when I sit down, I sink into it.

Ohhh how my body aches. It seems like this didn't hurt as much last time. Maybe because I was younger the last time he used me as a punching bag. God, how did I get myself back in this situation? Wipe away those tears Gillian, he doesn't deserve them. No one deserves them. I need to throw something! Anything! UGH!

Somehow throwing a pillow doesn't help. Nothing seems to help. I feel so… so… powerless against him. Why? Because he has some dirt on me that no one, and I mean no one, knows about. I would be so embarrassed; no, that isn't the word for it. I would be mortified if anyone found out about those skeletons, especially Cal. Everyone thinks I'm a "good girl" but they don't know anything about my past. They just automatically assume, in which I'm not going to correct them. Why should I?

Oh Cal... if he even peaked into my closet, he would run away and never look back. Then I would never see him or Emily… nope, he can't know anything is going on. I won't sacrifice our friendship, what's left of it, and the business, what's left of that, on this.

God, how I want to tell him just so I can get this guy off of my back. I don't know how many times I have walked up to his office and then turned right back around. There was one time I made it in his office. I was about to spill my guts when a woman walked in. She looked slinky and sexy and legs that go sky high. She was just Cal's type. Right then and there, I lost my confidence. He instantly shooed me away like I was not even supposed to be there, like a child. It made me so mad...

Well, at least he doesn't suspect anything. He has been so preoccupied with all the ladies in his life that he seems to have forgotten about me. Usually that would hurt my feelings but not now. God, I could only imagine what he would say or do if he found out.

-Sigh-

He's looks to be about the only one in the dark about… this. Ria and Loker definitely knows about it and maybe Emily.

-Knock, Knock-

Oh God, not again. I hope he is just going to talk not hit. I'm too damn tired.

You know, I can just not answer the door… No, last time I tried that, he… he… I don't want to even think about it. It was horrible. My back is still aching from him pushing me against the counter. Thank goodness that bruise is easily concealable, but another one will be forming on top of it from the light switch. Ugh... just my luck.

-Knock, Knock-

I guess I can't keep him waiting. You can be strong, Gillian. Just open the door and take it.

Oh my God! This can't be. "Cal, what are you doing here?"

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**Next chapter, Gillian and Cal have a little chat! Well, actually, it's a big chat! LOL!**

**Please review!**


	6. Cal Lightman and Gillian Foster

**Hello! Thank you for all of the reviews! So this is the second to last chapter! I am very happy at how this all fell into place. **

**I want to warn you again; I did play with Foster's history. I know some people are going to hate it and some people are going to like it. Please let me know what you think! :)**

**I also changed the POV to a 3rd person. **

**There is no violence in this but there are some 'not-so-pleasant' parts.**

**To VictoryShallBeMine: The part about Gillian's dad is from episode "Depraved Heart" from season one.**

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August 20, 2010; 7:36 pm

"Cal, what are you doing here?"

He steps into her house without a single word. He looks at her with the saddest eyes she has ever seen. He gently places his hand over her cheek, the same one that was violated not too long ago. It was forming a black and blue bruise over a brown one. His hands were cold to the touch, despite it being really hot outside.

She flinched away. "Please Cal, just leave."

He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Can't Luv, I'm involved now. I'm not gonna to turn my back on you," then he added in a whisper, "not ever again."

"Oh like you would never do that to me," she said sarcastically. "'What happened to loyalty, Gillian?' 'Pull another stunt like that and we're through.' Lately I have seen nothing but your back." She was breathing so hard that she had to count to ten in her head to calm down. "You know Cal; I've got enough bullshit in my life to deal with you right now. So please leave."

"No." It was so simple but full of emotions.

"Fine, you can stay here, I am going to bed. Make sure to turn off the lights when you are done down here." She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand over her elbow. Instinctively, she dropped to the ground so that she wouldn't get hit. She covered her face so that whoever grabbed her wouldn't see her fear. Then, out of nowhere, she felt soft, warm lips kiss her forehead. She looked up, expecting to find the man of her nightmares, only to see the man of her dreams. Before either of them could say anything, Gillian wrapped her arms around Cal's neck and squeezed tightly. Cal returned the hug with full force. There, she allowed herself to cry. First, it was a soft weep but then it turned into a full force sob. Everything that she had been holding back, everything that she had been hiding came out. And Cal was there to comfort her with his strong shoulder and a soft caring hand.

Then Cal rubbed his hand over a sensitive area of her back and in return, Gillian whimpered from pain. He had to know what this man did to her. He had to see it with his own eyes. There was no rhyme or reason, but he just had to! But Gillian wasn't ready to get up yet, she was still crying. So he decided to pick her up and he brought her in her bedroom. She didn't put up any resistance.

When he placed her on the bed, Cal turned on the bedside lamp. When he looked over at Gillian, she had her face hidden by her hands. Ever so gently, he sat down on the bed and started to take her thick, long sleeve shirt off. When his cold hands touched her hot skin, she jerked her head up. "What are you doing?" Tears were still rolling down her cheek.

He rested his hands on the side of her stomach. "I want to see what this bastard did to you. Gillian, I need to see. Look, I won't hurt you. I promise."

It took a few minutes for Gillian to nod her head, but she did heed a warning. "I don't think it will be very pretty."

"'I don't think…' Why don't you think it will be pretty? Haven't you seen yourself in a mirror?"

Gillian shook her head. "I'm too scared to look at what he has done. I know it won't be pretty." She almost sounds like a little child.

"Has he done this to you before?"

She takes a moment to formulate her answer. "When I was younger."

"How young were you?"

She looks down. Cal puts his finger under her chin and tenderly lifts her head back up. She answers in a quivering voice, "In high school."

"In high school? Seriously, Gillian, you were in high school when he did this to you?" He couldn't help but yell. In return, Gillian coward against her headboard, removing his hands from her sides in the process. Cal closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He lightly touches her arms and whispers, "Look, I'm sorry I yelled. It was uncalled for. Please come back close to me. I won't hurt you." He raises one hand to her cheek, where he starts to caress it. "I will never hurt you like that, please believe me."

She scoots a little closer, but keeps some distance between them. "Yes, I was in high school, but he would never hit me across my face. This is new for him."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes. Gillian was still fearful that Cal might hurt her and Cal was nervous at what he might see on the rest of her body. He couldn't help but think; if hitting her face is "new" then what will the rest of her body look like if he is used to abusing her there.

Cal couldn't take it even more. Before touching her shirt, he looked at her and asked, "Is it okay for me to see?" She silently nodded. He grabbed her shirt and gently pulled it over her head. Cal was expecting the worse when he finally got a look at her, but he wasn't expecting to see it. The belly button was the only area not affected by this man's hatred. Her left shoulder had a dark brown bruise dotted with black spots. Her arms were covered in swollen hand prints from him grabbing her too hard. Right under her rib cage was a light brown bruise the size of a man's fist. Cal had to cover his mouth to remind himself not to throw up.

"If you're going to throw up, please do it in the bathroom."

"My God Gillian, I can't believe you would allow someone to do this to you. I thought you were a stronger person than that. Is he your boyfriend?" Disgust, she would rather die than to have him as a boyfriend. "Is he a 'friend' of Alec?" Nope. "Is he a 'friend' of Dave?" Still nothing. "Is he a loan shark?" Her breathing is getting a little faster. He is close. "Is he extorting you?" Swallow. Yup, that's the one. "What information does he have that I don't?"

"Cal, it's really none of your business. You have seen the bruises, now go. I will not stand to be treated like a suspect."

"But you aren't a suspect, Gillian, you're a victim. He is victimizing you for what? A secret that you are holding?" Bingo.

She stood up and walked to the door of her bedroom. She pointed and said, "Get out, now!"

He had to use every ounce of his will not to throw up after seeing her back. There was a long bruise in the middle of her back stretching from one side to the other. Not to mention, he could see her rib cage poking out; probably from not eating. "Or what? What will ya do to me? You can't brush me off like a lil' kid. You can't threaten to fire me. Tell me what he is doing to you and I can protect you." He stood up and walked over to where Gillian was standing. "Please, Gillian, I want to protect you. No, I need to protect you." He grabbed both of her hands. "I didn't see it, Gillian. I was too busy bein' bleedin' mad at you. I should be protectin' you and I failed, miserably. Please let me make it up to you." Gillian looked fearful. Cal stepped closer till he was in her personal area. He didn't care that she was still without a shirt, but she didn't seem to mind either. "Please." Everything he had, everything that he was feeling, was held in that little word.

Gillian was about to say something when, his phone made a knocking noise. It was a text message but Cal didn't bother getting it. Then out of nowhere, she whispered, "His name is Joseph Turling. He… he used to be… he used to be my drug dealer."

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**Next chapter Cal get's some answers and Gillian looks into a mirror. **

**Please review!**


	7. You're All I Have

**Hi there! So this is it! The last chapter! YA! I wanted to to personally thank everyone who reviewed, alerted or favorited this story! Thank you for accepting it with an open heart and mind!**

**Happy Veteran's Day to all those who have served! **

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Cal was not expecting her to say that. "Your what?"

Gillian closed her eyes and pinched her brows together. "Cal, a long time ago I was a different person. I used to do drugs and I hung out with the wrong crowds. I wanted to be this badass chick, but I just ended up abused and dependant on drugs. The person I am today is after many years of therapy and NA meetings."

He didn't know what to say. He was still shocked at her confession. Then he said slowly, "So this Joseph guy used to supply you." She slowly nodded her head. "And what would happen if you couldn't pay him?"

"Seriously, why do you need to know this?"

"I need to know, Gillian. Did he hit you for the drugs?" His voice was at a high pitch.

"No Cal, if I didn't have money to give him, I would pay him off with sex." That statement hung in the air like a rotting piece of cheese. Then she said in a quieter voice, "The hitting didn't come until after I was clean. He told me that I owed him money. If I didn't pay him, he would slap me around. After a couple months of working double shifts, I paid off my debt and went on with my life."

The silence was so thick that you couldn't slice a knife through it.

Cal was angry. How dare she hold this back from him. He tightened his fists into balls. Then he looked up at her face and his anger dimmed a little. He was going to murder this guy the first chance he got. "So what brought this prince charmin' back to you?" She shrugged her shoulders and hid her face behind her hair. Cal lifted her chin again and swept her hair out of her face. "No, no; you won't hide from this anymore. The only way to get out of this for good is to get it, whatever it is, out in the open." He looked at her face, but she was looking everywhere else but him. "You embarrassed about what happened. You are… also afraid, but of what?"

All the years of trying to be tough flew right out the window. Now was the time to be honest with him."Despite how you have been treating me, you're… you're all I have." Tears were starting to spring to her swollen eyes. She looked down again and hugged her body. Only then did she realize that she was still without a shirt. She felt vulnerable, like she was giving away her deepest, darkest secret. She had to do a little damage control. "You and the business I mean." Her breath was shallow.

He captured her cheeks to make sure that he was looking into her eyes and vice versa. "You're all I have too."

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah right."

She started to shake her head, but he stopped her. "Okay, I know I have Emily… for now. She will be leaving to go to college soon. I mean, she is already looking at colleges and talking about colleges." He let go and looked a little lost in thought. "And, well, she is gonna wanna go and who am I to stop her, really. I thought that she would want to stay close to home but I saw her look at colleges in California. Of all places, she wants to go to California. All they have there is-"

"Cal, you're babbling." She turned towards her bed and walked there. She picked up her shirt and started to turn it inside out. "Emily is just as important to me and California isn't that bad. I used to live there you know."

Cal walked over to where she was and snatched her shirt out of her hands. "Yes and that's where this Casanova is from and look what he did to you. Oh, that's right; you haven't seen what he's done to you." He forced his hand into hers and started to drag her into her bathroom.

This time she was resistant, very resistant. "Let me go, Cal" She tried twisting her way out. When that didn't work she tried to dig her feet into the carpet. It didn't work either. "Cal, stop it! Right now!" It was too late though. They were in the bathroom and Cal turned on the lights. She turned her back to the mirror. "This is silly Cal. I'm not going to do it."

Cal leaned against the counter. "Can you honestly tell me that you are all right with what he is doing to you? Look at me into my eyes and tell me that you just don't care." He closed a drawer very quietly so that Gillian didn't hear.

"I… I… I don't know." She hung her head. "You know the answer to that Cal. Please, I don't want to see myself."

He walked up to her. He had something behind his back but she wasn't paying any attention. "You know you have to see what this guy is doing to you. You don't deserve this. No one does and you have the chance to put him behind bars, to make him a marked man so that he will never do this to any woman."

They sat in silence for a couple minutes. Then with a feeble voice she said, "I don't know if I'm strong enough." She looked down in shame. Admitting this was the hardest thing she did.

He placed a hand held mirror in front of her and said, "Take this and look at yourself. I'm here and I promise I won't ever turn my back on you. I can be strong for both of us."

She looked at him and with trembling hands she grabbed the mirror. She turned it around and finally saw her reflection. Staring back was a tired, frail woman with bags under her eyes and bruises all over her face. She only lasted a minute before she threw the mirror on the counter and started to sob. There to catch her was Cal. Tears began to run wildly down her face when he pulled her into his capable body. "I am so… ugly Cal. Why… why are you here with m… m… me?"

"You're all I have." It was so simple but it felt so right. "Here, let's get you into some decent clothes and get you to bed." She didn't oppose.

After getting another shirt from her drawer, he slipped it over her head. Then he laid her down and covered her with the sheets. He turned to get something when he felt a hand hold him back. "Please don't leave." That was all she had left.

He looked down at her. He then took off his shoes and walked to the other side of the bed. He sat on top of the sheets. He put his arm around her and drew her closer to his body. She needed his protection just as much as he needed to be next to her. They soon fell asleep.

.:.

August 21, 2010; 2:44 am

Cal made sure that Gillian was asleep. He slipped out of her grasp and walked outside of her bedroom. As he went down the stairs, he pulled out his cell phone. There was three text messages; one from his daughter seeing if Gillian was okay (he would call her in the morning), another from Debbie asking where he was tonight (he "accidently" lost her number) and a picture text from Loker. He clicked on that one and saw a man's face show up. It was from the surveillance video. It was a little hazy but he could still make out the bastard's face. Under the picture Loker wrote, "We found him. I just sent this pic to the po. Hopefully they'll catch him. 1 request, I get 5 mins alone w/ him."

He was about to send a text back but another one came in. It was from Ben, which caught him off guard. Since their split from the FBI, their friendship has suffered. "Sorry it's late, but we just caught a wanted felon and he had a pic of Gillian. Is she ok?"

He responded back, "She is fine. What is he wanted for?"

His reply back seemed to take forever. "Drug trafficking, prostitution and the murder of 2 women."

Cal had to sit down. It felt like the wind was knocked right out of him. He started to type, "I'm here with Foster-" he erased 'Foster' and put "—Gillian. She is well, but you will probably need to talk to her. He beat her up pretty badly." He thought about adding another sentence. What the hell, he was going to find out sooner or later. "They used to have a history together."

"Oh man. I will be at her house in the morning. See you later."

Cal just sat in the silent dark for what seemed like an eternity. Then out of nowhere he got up and turned off his phone. He walked back up stairs and into her bedroom. He laid on the bed, wrapped an arm around her waist and whispered, "He will never hurt you, not ever again."

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**Thank you again for reading! Please review!**

**A/N: I know I haven't done this, but it really does need to be said. If you are abused (sexually, physically or emotionally) in a relationship or you know somebody who is, please call your local abuse hotline. The worst thing you can do is nothing.**


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